Superior capacitive performance of active carbons derived from Enteromorpha prolifera

• An ocean biomass, Entromorphra prolifera, has been processed into supercapacitor electrodes.
• KOH activation can prepare hierarchical porous carbon.
• The as-prepared carbons have high capacitance with good rate capability.
• This work provided an approach to value-added products from an ocean biomass.

Enteromorpha prolifera (E.prolifera), an ocean biomass, was used as raw materials to prepare active carbons by a two-step strategy (pre-carbonization followed by chemical activation). The as-prepared active carbons have been characterized by a variety of means such as N2 adsorption, field emission scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that the carbons have large surface area and developed porosity with micro-meso hierarchical pore texture. As evidenced by electrochemical measurements, the specific capacitance of the carbons can reach up to 296 F g−1. More importantly, the carbons can maintain a high capacitance of up to 152 F g−1 at a very high current density of 30 A g−1, highlighting the promise of the carbons for high power applications.